My name is Daniel. I started playing the violin in December. Actually, I started playing in the seventh grade, but couldn't afford lessons to keep it up(plus, I was intimidated by the instrument). I took lessons during the spring semester at school this year and they just ended. I won't be able to take formal lessons next semester but I do want to keep playing. It's a lot of fun, but it sounds god awful at times. Anyhow, I've got a request that might actually be asking a lot, but here goes. I want to learn how to play Camille Saint-Saens Danse Macabre solo for Halloween this year, but the sheet music I've seen is way, way, way above my level. Does anyone know of(or would be willing to arrange, 'cause I don't know how!) a simplified version of the piece for beginners? I don't know if it's possible(I'm still pretty musically ignorant), but if anyone could help out, I'd appreciate it!

BillyG

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May 17, 2014 - 12:47 am

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I see you like a challenge ( as a beginner, I can feel free to say that ! ) ... out of interest I tired to find some stuff which I might use were I to attempt this -
I found a set of parts, written in ABC notation - even THAT is way too complex.
But then I found this - an 8 or so part MIDI file - http://www.classicalmidiconnec.....s/dmacbre1
I loaded into a midi editor (Anvil Studio as it happens) - and from there of course you can separate out parts - cut out the "clutter" - home in to the melody which I guess is what you want at the end of the day....
Were I insane enough to even attempt that piece, that's how I would approach it. Other possibility I might use is to pick up a simplified version, as used in the theme tune to a UK TV series - and just "play by ear" to that......
Just ideas for you Dan....
**EDIT - oh - and welcome, by the way !

I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -

Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)

Mad_Wed

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May 17, 2014 - 5:17 pm

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Welcome to the forum, Dan-Hur!
Nice tune choice, i like it too. Thanks for remind XD!

Dan-Hur

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May 17, 2014 - 7:34 pm

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Thanks guys. This piece is actually one of the main reasons I started playing again. There are others, but I love the sound of this one. I appreciate your help, Bill, but I'm not real familiar with MIDI. That intro theme is pretty much exactly what I want. What were the ABC bits you found? Is that kind of like guitar tabs?

BillyG

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May 18, 2014 - 1:32 am

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Hi Dan - no - ABC is an "alternative" musical notation which originally started out years ago as a simple plain-text "description" of a score. It has evolved over the years with software ABC players that can transform this simple text format into (something like) a score sheet - here for example is the ABC notation for the tune Dark Island
X: 13
T:Dark Island
R:Waltz
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:G
E2|"Am"A3 BA2|"Em"G3 AG2|"C"EC3E2|"G"D4GA|
"G"B3 AG2|"Bm"Bd3D2|"Em"B4d>B|"D"A4E2|
"Am"A3 BA2|"Em"G3 AG2|"C"EC3E2|"G"D4GA|
"G"B4d>B|"D7"A4B>A|"C"G3 AG>F|"G"G2B2c2|
"G"d3 DD2|B2A2G2|"C"EC3E2|"G"D4GA|
"G"B3 AG2|"Bm"Bd3D2|"Em"B4d>B|"D7"A4E2|
"Am"A3 BA2|"Em"G3 AG2|"C"EC3E2|"G"D4GA|
"G"B4d>B|"D7"A4B>A|"C"G3 AG>F|"G"G4 z2|]

-- and using a ABC player ( this is from EasyABC ) - you get a score sheet - e.g.

Frankly, I can't be bothered much with either MIDI or ABC - but - if someone has already gone to the trouble of generating a reasonable-sounding version, I will pick that up and use it as my "starter for ten" - simply because my sight reading is nowhere near fluent enough to work directly from sheet.

This is a link to the ABC notation for Danse Macabre - take one look at it, and you'll immediately see why it's not really a good idea !

.....as a "non-sight-reader" what I could suggest is - get the sheet - listen to the version I posted earlier - it almost certainly will not be identical - but - pick out the section of interest and score it up to your own needs - the (proper) sheet will give information beyond simply notes and duration - and with a bit of effort you should end up with something that is representative of what you want.

Yeah I see what your saying. I found some sheet music that doesn't seem too difficult, but right now I'm practicing the Swan Lake bit that the Fiddlerman has posted. Boy does makes it look easy . . . and sound nice.